Monday, October 02, 2006

Strangely Spotted Acer macrophyllum


Jamey found this interestingly spotted maple leaf while we were hiking near the Upper Lewis River this past weekend.
A closer look at the leaf is here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ZimFam/Botanical/photo#4981429874041421842

4 comments :

Anonymous said...

Nice photo.

Looks like the leaf was wearing a polka-dotted costume in which to dance the "Maple Leaf Rag".

Anonymous said...

I like the picture of the leaf with the boy behind it better than the "detail" photo found via the link.
An awesome picture of an awesome Great Grandson.
What can I say?! ;<)

Great Grumpy G

Anonymous said...

Yesterday I rode my bicycle up the Cedar River Trail, to Landsburg and back. I checked out the Maple leaves on the ground and saw lots of them with spots on them. The spotted ones represent about 2-5% of the leaves I saw. I didn't see any with the nice bright green spots though.

I wonder if the spots are a fungus or insect, or the places where the leaf was bitten, or eggs were laid by an insect, so that the green color doesn't fade when the rest of the leaf turns yellow.

Do you know any botonists who could tell us what causes the spots?

Amboy Observer said...

Unfortunately I haven't kept in touch with any "practicing" Botanists.